Ranger - Melee with max shieldblock (very flexible passive tree) - Forum

I've come up with a very nice passive tree for a melee ranger. It walks all the way around to the upper left near and in the templar area, so you get a ton of strength, a lot of dex and just enough intelligence to use some nice blue gems like enfeeble, item rarity, tempest shield.

The main reason I took this route are the incredible shield block clusters, but there's a lot of other nice stuff up there.

We walk past some keystones that you may or may not take, especially Iron Reflexes, Unwavering Stance, Resolute Technique. We also walk past 2 frezy and 2 endurance charges that you can incorporate into the build if you so desire.

That's the basic skill tree, 87 points (means you are level 70 if you helped the bandits three times), lots of life, evasion, shieldblock and some damage with onehanded weapons.

Spoiler

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgIBm40ILu2DGY4AXtN-eK5I7j3it9PXyxutGtvuDiP27_BaSFb6_MVnoId2Sn3dDVuvTiq2QWqT1e3AD9JNvqduaYTZWNtT35uDrK-E73Tteu9lTUd-YSEaVWSjNugB56cw974UIFBHFHFBqvjr9zJyqayqWfPAGmae-tIdFI9GM5ZzP0GMkFWnhBo47Dg62Hy7xYrwH7T5ogBMNSjF875wfamVGjJRYGBLr-u3FziW

I didn't take any specific weapon passives, this is up to you.

From here on you can take several paths:
*more damage, specialize in a weapon
*20% Elemental Resist in the left shield cluster
*another 4% shieldblock on the left of duelist zone
*frenzy and endurance charges
*the keystones like IR (if you are afraid max block isn't enough with evasion and possibly blind)
*you can even go crit (there's 140% crit with onehanded for just 3 points near templar area and several other smaller crit-clusters all around the way)
*the nice AoE buff in templar start zone
*Aura support in the big cluster up there
*Life regen

Level Progression is also very nice and simple, you just follow the path to Duelist starting zone, grab the stuff on the way, and once you finish this zone, you go for the long strength walk (I did it like this: levelling points go into the path, bonus points are for damage, life and other nice stuff).

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Example

As an example my little Ranger Girl, MileyGoneWild:

I'm going for a claw build, but with no points in real "claw skills", because I was never really impressed by them (who needs like 25% Lifeleech and low damage/accuracy stuff?). I just use a claw because:
a) I have a nice one.
b) it saves the life leech gem, which means I can get away with a 5-Link (or do even more damage with a 6-link or one day maybe "the bringer of rain").

Current tree:
(Level 70, still a lot of life and 8% shieldblock to grab, and still not sure if I ever need to go for Iron Reflexes):

Spoiler

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgIAAF4B5wguFCAUTRRxGY4aMho4GlUa2xutHRQoxTOWNug4ljrYPeJBjEGqR35I7kp9TDVOKlBHUWBT31b6WNtZ81uvYSFko2VNZp5noGqTbmlwfXKpcz907XiufLt82YM4hNmE74d2j0aQCpBVm4ObjaIApzCnhKmVrKqsr6_rtPm2QbcXt9O-p8APwBrFitJN037V7dfL3Q3sOO2D7g7vfPAf8773Mve--Ov60vzF

I'm so sorry I didn't go for the passive "Wrecking Ball"... ;)

Gems:

Spoiler

Main attack:
Reave + Melee damage + Faster attacks + Multistrike + Concentrated Effect
(I'd go "Blind", "Added Fire Damage" or "Melee Damage on Full life" if I got my hands on a 6-Link)

Auras:
Clarity Lvl1 + Grace/Hatred + Tempest shield + Reduced Mana
(can go for Grace+Hatred and run Clarity on Blood magic, but I'm ok with swapping the auras)

Cast on Damage taken:
Enduring Cry, Molten Shell, Enfeeble, Temporal Chains, Decoy Totem... pick three.

Mobility:
*Whirling Blades + Culling Strike + Item rarity (+Quantity outside of Domination league)
*Lightning Warp (to cross barricades and avoid stairs)

Current Gear:
Just started mapping, this should be well enough...

Spoiler

The Stone of Lazwhar and Rainbowstrides offer wonderful spellblock (sitting at 20+50+12 = 82% of shieldblock), however they are pretty shitty otherwise, you have to go for a lot of life/resist on the rest of the gear.

A shield with high evasion Rating is wonderful to have, I alched this one, I hope for endgame to find one with additional +life and +shieldblock.

And you need to get a bit of Mana- and Lifeleech somewhere on your gear, rings, amulet, gloves come to mind...

Flasks:

Spoiler

Sweet Armor and Evasion. ;)

Stats:

Spoiler

Hatred, usual setup:

With Grace, if I'm a little afraid:

The bottom shows defence with flasks.

(I know my fire resist isnt capped, I got a better helmet that covers this and overcaps my resists, but the one I'm wearing looks just so wonderfully silly I had to use it instead!)

Bandits

Spoiler

Normal: Oak or Kraytin.
Cruel: Oak or Kraytin.
Merciless: Oak or Kraytin or kill all.
(I helped Oak all the way)

Use of Currency

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With my incredible Paint Skills I made this...